48 Amanda Palmer Gary Scharf Karla Eidem INTERVIEW Providing opportunities for growth Karla Eidem, Amanda Palmer and Gary Scharf share how a PMI membership is supporting project managers, their organisations and the wider professional community Project managers play a key role in any organisation. From conception of an idea to its development and eventual execution, these professionals are responsible for ensuring that the company’s endeavours are successful. However, projects are becoming more critical and complex as the needs and ambitions of organisations evolve. The requirements of the role have shifted too, according to Karla Eidem, project management professional and regional managing director for North America at the Project Management Institute (PMI). “It is no longer just the technical aspects of the project that matter,” she explains. “Execution of a project requires acting as a strategic partner within the organisation, ensuring that the project aligns with and supports overall organisational goals.” To help project professionals understand the skills needed, PMI uses the Talent Triangle, where each side represents a different skill set, but each skill set supports, and is supported by, the other two. “One side represents what we call ‘ways of working’ or technical skills, the second represents power skills such as communication and strategic thinking, and the third represents business acumen and knowledge of how a project will support the goals of a business,” says Eidem. “In order to be prepared for the evolving needs of an organisation, and the world, project professionals must balance these core skill sets.” PMI helps project professionals develop these skills and apply them in real-life through a variety of courses, certifications and community opportunities. “The community is our superpower here at PMI,” says Amanda Palmer, head of community for North America at PMI. “We have about 700,000 members around the world that are not only eager to learn and grow, but to share knowledge and give back too.” PMI members gain access to many resources, such as templates, thought leadership, webinars, courses, discounts on PMI certifications, local PMI chapters and PMI’s very own artificial intelligence tool, PMI Infinity, which provides real-time guidance and knowledge to users. Furthermore, PMI hosts a global summit annually, where project professionals gather to learn and grow, and PMI local chapters actively offer professional development and regular meet ups. “I remember the first professional development day I attended, and it was such a powerful experience,” says Palmer. “It wasn’t just seasoned professionals, but also people new to PMI that had made big career changes into project management. These events help you feel a little less alone and allow you to learn and network with like-minded professionals that may be facing the same challenges you are.” PMI members are not the only ones who benefit, however, as organisations that support BY AMBER HICKMAN “ The community is our superpower here at PMI” AMANDA PALMER
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